Vehicle door latches may include a movable “claw” that engages a striker to retain the vehicle door in a closed position. When the latch is latched, a movable pawl prevents movement/release of the claw from an engaged position to prevent the vehicle door from opening. The pawl may be mechanically connected to interior and/or exterior door handles by elongated linkage such as a cable whereby movement of the handles shifts the pawl to a released (unlatched) position wherein the pawl permits the claw to move and disengage from the striker.
During a side impact on a vehicle door, the door handle tends to move outwardly due to the inertia of the handle. This movement of the door handle can cause unlatching of the latch. Door handles may include counter weights or the like that are designed to prevent movement of the door handle in a side impact to thereby prevent unlatching of the latch. However, known arrangements may suffer from various drawbacks.